We had a beautiful drive up to Curry Village in Yosemite National Park for the Annual Holiday Craft Bazaar. Fresh snow trimmed the peaks above the valley and we could see wonderful reflections in the Merced River as we drove up. We parked in the Curry Village parking lot, which was an ice sheet in much of the area so I dropped off my partners on this adventure closer then parked the car. As we walked in, a roaring fire in the fireplace warmed us up.
Over 50 artists participated in this year’s fair. Jewelry, paintings, crochet, knitting and embroidery, woodworking, photography and so many more were located at their tables with their beautiful items displayed. The artists were also there to answer questions, share a little about themselves and how the items were made. I think that is one of the reasons this craft fair is so special. It is impossible to highlight all of these artists but I picked a few to share with you.
I stopped by the booth of a photographer that I had been following but had never met. Mike Reeves is a local in the Yosemite National Park area which gives him the opportunity to capture the changing seasons in the park and the beautiful scenery. He had beautiful prints that included reflections in the Merced River, fall colors and the magestic mountains in the area. You can also see some his work online at his website: Mike Reeves Photography
Mike Reeves Photography
Beautiful handcrafted wooden birdhouses and clocks caught my eye. I stopped and chatted with Bob Huntington to learn more about how he made these and learned that he is an Ahwahnee resident. There was so much intricate work needed to cut the tiny edges and he told me that he used a scroll saw to do this, making many, many small cuts. Bob’s Woodworks can be reached at (559) 760-0845.
Bob’s Huntington, Bob’s Woodworks
When we first came in, I had seen my mom talking with Julie Parker, an Indian Cultural Demonstrator since 1980, who had all kinds of small baskets and figurines that she had made. She was fairly busy with people talking with her so I didn’t catch up with her til later when I finally saw that she wasn’t busy. She is of Coast Miwok/Kashaya Pomo ancestry and her husband’s family was of Yosemite Miwok/Paiute ancestry. She told me that she has always loved to hike and we discovered we had a love for some of the same trails and country. Since 1960, she has been working as a Cultural Specialist at the Yosemite Museum, interpreting the traditional ways of the Native Americans who lived in the Yosemite Valley. What an honor to meet and talk with this amazing woman.
As I talked with her, she was weaving a very small basket and she showed me how it is being made to fit an acorn. I took a short video that can be found here. For more information on her, along with a nice video, please visit The Parker Family.
Talking with Julie Parker (Photo by Rosemary Gregory)
Talking with Julie Parker (Photo by Gail Gilbert)
Small Acorn Basket Being Made by Julie Parker
Another vendor that caught my eye was Kate Dohn, owner of the Good Shnit. She had some beautiful handmade crochet designs, She told me that she learned to crochet when she was 8 years old and started selling her items around 2010. Her items are only of patterns that she designs. She has an online store at The Good Shnit and can be reached at her email here. She also has a list of shows where she will be selling here beautiful creations listed at her online store. I have to admit that I bought one of her beautiful hats.
Kate Dohn/The Good Shnit
We had a nice taco lunch with the proceeds going to the Yosemite National Park Child Care Center. It was basically a build you own taco and boy, did I build mine. Along with the chips, salsa and guacamole, I ate way too much. After going through the vendors one more time to make sure I didn’t miss anything, we headed over to the Ahwahnee Hotel to see the Christmas decorations. They are always beautiful. The sleigh was in front and nicely decorated so we just had to take our pictures in it. The lobby Christmas Tree was beautiful as was the rest of the hotel. Due to a private party going on, we were unable to get into some of the areas to see them but it was well worth the trip.
Mom and me in Front of the Ahwahnee Hotel (Photo by Gail Gilbert)
The Craft Fair has a Facebook Page and you can reach it here where you can see more information on the many vendors that participated this year. If you missed the Annual Holiday Craft Bazaar in Yosemite this year, stay tuned for the date of next year’s even and calendar it! When I get that date, I will update this blog with that information. I highly recommend this event!
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